Drop the current KPIs. There is only one goal: Make your customers successful

If your company’s sales department and marketing department do not work 150% together, then there are other companies in your market that will, and they will knock you out well and thoroughly.

The way customers make decisions and buy themselves in to has changed significantly in the past 10 years, so businesses are forced to change to match their customers’ expectations. If they don’t, then they will buy from others who offer the solution they need in a better way for them. Even if it is the exact same solution!

Being able to make the right decisions about how and where your products are to be sold requires insight into the behaviour of your customers and their movements around on various platforms – both on and off-line.

References and content weigh heaviest

There’s really nothing new in it – we have talked about it for years. But it has now become apparent that references from others who resemble oneself are the most important when buying something new.

The second most important is that your company is able to provide valuable knowledge prior to a purchase and that you have first-rate customer testimonials. HubSpot presented an analysis of how marketing departments buy solutions, and only 18 per cent listen to a seller, whereas 58 per cent would be more inclined to follow word-of-mouth and recommendations.

Recommendations presume loyal and highly satisfied customers, and so the two founders of HubSpot made a big deal that there should only be one focus on key figures, reward models, price models, etc. and that is To ensure that their customers will be successful.

And while this may sound simple, it requires major changes in most companies.